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Today I’m sharing another page inspired by my trip to Blackpool Central Library, and this time I have taken another one of the fabulous stained glass windows that depicts the word “Aspire” as my inspiration. My design includes the arrows and words that can be found etched into the window design, as well as the meaning of the word “aspire” which was cleverly defined through the images that can be seen on the window.

I started by stamping a cog image from a Steampunk stamp set by Docrafts using black Archival Ink to create clusters of cogs. I then used the same ink to stamp a series of arrow stamps by Hampton Art; this replicates the arrows pointing upwards that were etched on the window panes. I also added diagonal stripes to the largest arrows that I had stamped using a black Uni Pin marker to further match the etched glass design. Next I painted diluted Fawn and Topaz Spectrum Aqua markers onto the page, by scribbling the ink onto an acrylic block, spritzing it liberally with water and then applying it to the page with a paint brush. I gradually built up the colour so that it was more concentrated around the edges of the page. I like the way the clean finish of the background mimics the transparency of the glass window.

To give a metal look to the cogs that I had stamped, I coloured them with Fawn, Topaz, Desert and Chestnut Spectrum Aqua Markers. Then I added Ranger Glossy Accents to the cog and arrow images that I had stamped to give them some dimension so that they appear like glass shining from the page. Whilst the Glossy Accents was drying I created this card to depict the word Aspire and the meaning of it that can be derived from the window itself. I used a card by Docrafts Papermania which I cut to size and coloured the dark blue elements of the pattern black using black Sharpie and Uni Pin markers. I took an old dictionary and cut the page containing the word ‘aspire’ and glued it to the front of the card and also to the inside using a UHU Stic. Then I covered both pieces of dictionary text with a thin layer of gesso, aged it with Tea Dye Distress Ink using a blending tool and distressed the edges using the Fawn and Chestnut Spectrum Aqua Markers smudging the ink with my finger to give a vintage look. I stamped the word “ASPIRE” onto the front using a Docrafts alphabet stamp set and black Archival Ink.

Then I also added the definition from the Collins dictionary onto the inside of the card using an alphabet stamp set by Dovecraft and the same black ink. To finish the card I added some pretty coloured rub-on transfers by Kaisercraft to the front and inside of the card which reminded me of stained glass window designs, and then I stuck it to the page using double-sided tape. I also added the hot air balloons which are also rub-on transfers and the saying “Up, up and away” to symbolise the word “Up” that was etched on the glass and also the space rocket lifting off on the window design. To compliment the images I had stamped and to accentuate the illusion of upwards movement, I added black lines of Glitterations stickers and copper gemstone borders to draw the eye upwards. To finish, I embellished some of the stamped cogs with bronze gemstones to add more sparkle and edged the page with a black Faber-Castell Big Brush marker.

As you may have discovered in my two previous posts, which you can find here and here, this library dates back to 1911. In 2011 to mark the centenary the interior was refurbished and eight new stained glass windows were installed. Here is the beautiful “Aspire” window which inspired my latest page.

As some of you may know from my last post, we recently went to the Blackpool Central Library and I was so inspired by the wonderful architecture and the fabulous interior that I have a few pages that I want to create.

You can find my first page here, which was inspired by one of the beautiful windows. The library also has a lovely café area for the community to use, which is a sanctuary for people from all walks of life that are looking for somewhere to make friends and find purpose. So my second page is inspired by a couple of fun romantic sayings that adorned the walls in this area.

As the library dates back to 1911 and is built in the Edwardian Baroque style, I wanted to create a vintage and ornate page to showcase the sayings from the signage we saw. I also choose the green and pink colour scheme to represent the masculine and feminine colours of the signage too. So I started by adding Picked Raspberry and Cracked Pistachio Distress Ink to the page using a blending tool and then I covered the page with a thin layer of white gesso to tone down the colours. I stencilled letters and numbers from a Past Times stencil by Viva Decor using Black Soot Distress Ink and a blending tool. Then I used some of the same stamps that I used on my first page, these being a Vintage-Cherish butterfly image and also a doily stamp, both by Kaisercraft, which I stamped onto the page using black Versafine Ink. Next I ripped pieces of two different decoupage papers from Poundworld that matched the Distress Ink colours and stuck them to the page using a UHU Stic. Before I stuck down the large pieces of decoupage paper I painted white gesso underneath so that there was a clean finish with no stamps showing through in readiness for the sayings. Once the glue had dried I doodled along the edges of the papers using a black Derwent Graphix marker. Next I stamped the two sayings, which were on the library wall, onto the decoupage paper using an alphabet stamp set by Hampton Art and black Versafine Ink. I added a coffee bean and cupcake alongside the sayings, as well as the coffee pots and cake stands which are all outline stickers, then I outlined them with a black Uni Pin marker. I used Glitterations border stickers to add the black lines and I also added some vintage flower 3D stickers. I fussy cut the heart and cupid image from a card making kit, edged it with a black Sharpie marker and stuck it to the page using double-sided foam tape. To finish, I painted glitter glue onto the 3D flowers and cupid wings to add some extra sparkle.

Last week we went to the Blackpool Central Library which dates back to 1911 and was built in the Edwardian Baroque style. I was so inspired by the wonderful architecture and the fabulous interior that I have a few pages that I want to create. This is my first page and is inspired by one of the stunning stained glass window designs that can be found in the library.

Inspired by the window colours and design, I added Gold, Kingfisher and Aquamarine Spectrum Aqua Markers to the page by applying them onto an acrylic block, spritzing with water and then pressing the block onto the page. I also dripped the ink from the acrylic block onto the page too. I love the intensity of the colours and how they have layered and merged together. Next I added splatters of black acrylic paint using a paintbrush. Then using black Versafine Ink and an alphabet stamp set by Papermania I stamped the word “Freedom”, which is detailed on the window and is stamped in the same shape as the window design. I applied black Papermania embossing powder over the top of the ink and then shook the excess powder onto a piece of scrap paper tapping the page against the table to remove any stray powder; I didn’t take too much care in removing the embossing powder as it adds to the grunge look. Once the excess powder was safely returned to its container, I used a heat gun to melt the embossing powder. I swept the gun over the letters, taking care not to direct the heat in one area for too long until the embossing powder changed to a glossy finish becoming smooth and dimensional. I like the way the letters stand out from the background as it looks a bit like the lead of the stained glass. To replicate some of the detail found at the top of the window, I used the same alphabet stamp set to add random black embossed letters to the top and bottom edges of the page using the same technique. I also secondary stamped some of these letters using the black Versafine ink and then stamped them again using the Spectrum Aqua markers to create a layered look. As a butterfly was part of the window design, I stamped a Vintage-Cherish butterfly image and also a doily stamp, both by Kaisercraft, using the black Versafine Ink. Then I used Glitterations outline stickers to add the black lines and blue gems to add some sparkle which reminds me of the light shining through the glass. For the butterfly, I fussy cut the image from a doodle book, changing the shape slightly. Then I coloured in the zentangle patterns using yellow, light blue, black and white Uni Posca paint pens and stuck it to the page using double-sided tape in the centre and double-sided foam tape to raise the wings and create a 3D effect.

My page also matches the combination of colourful yellow and peacock feather images from the moodboard over at Mixed Media World so I’m joining in their “Anything Mixed Media Goes with Moodboard ” challenge.

The Central Library in Blackpool is quite an imposing building being constructed of Accrington red brick with stone dressings and beautiful columns on each side of the doorway. You can see the words “Central Public Library” carved above the doorway and at the very top there is an octagonal leaded dome.

The interior was renovated in 2011 marking the centenary of the building and this included installing some beautiful stained glass windows. This is window that inspired the ink splatters, “freedom”, letters and butterflies on my page design.

It was such a beautiful place that provided me with so much inspiration that I plan to create a few more journal pages which I’ll be sharing with you along with some photos of the interior next week so watch this space.

Thanks for joining me today! If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Here is a list of all the materials used to create this art journal page:

I was inspired to create an aircraft themed page to remember this year’s Blackpool Air Show which was spectacular! I went for a vintage theme and added a saying that I thought was very fitting: “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away”.

I’m also linking my page to Art Journal Journey where I’m hosting this month’s theme “Poetry in Motion”, here you are invited to create a page inspired by a poem, saying or quote.

I started by adding patches of Blueprint Sketch and Hickory Smoke Distress Inks to the page using a blending tool. Then I used some stencils by Craft Sensations to add layers of clouds using Tea Dye and the Blueprint Sketch Distress Ink and a moustache design using Black Soot Distress Ink. As I went for a vintage feel I chose the moustache design which reminds me of flyers from the olden days who use to say ‘chocs away’ (grin!). I used black Archival Ink to stamp a plane image by Royal & Langnickel and some swirls by Dovecraft to depict a plane’s smoke trail. I cut some information from an old encyclopaedia about aircraft and stuck it to the top left-hand corner of the page using a UHU Stic. Next I layered different elements onto the page using a UHU Stic and double-sided tape to stick them in place, this included: an image of an old-fashioned gentleman to match the vintage theme, and two clocks and a compass which I fussy cut from a Kanban topper set; a large wood effect tag by Docrafts Papermania that I tied with string; a recycled tag which I added the saying onto using rub-on transfers by Kaisercraft; a ticket which I made using the same rub-on transfer set on white card, fussy cut out and edged with Tea Dye Distress Ink, its words remind me of the air show; a Victorian tag of a plane by The Works which I stuck to white card, edged with the Tea Dye Ink and tied with string; a map of the world which is a sticker from Poundworld; a tag that is die cut from map paper by The Works; and a wonderful plane postage stamp from my hubby’s childhood collection. The postage stamp is from Great Britain and was issued in 1969 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first non-stop Atlantic flight by Alcock and Brown in July 1919. Incidentally, Alcock went to school in St. Annes and there is a blue plaque to commemorate this at the school. To finish, I added some brown brads which I opened and stuck to the page using glossy accents leaving the fastener parts showing, giving the appearance of aircraft propellers.

The air show was amazing and my hubby captured some fantastic shots with his super new zoom lens so I thought I’d share the highlights with you. There was a mixture of aircraft, some old and some new and this includes both planes and helicopters.

This is the only remaining flying Lancaster in the UK, (and one of only two flying in the world) so we were very privileged to see it.

It was interesting to see and compare the old Lancaster with the latest Typhoon (Eurofighter) fighter-bomber which was doing all sorts of fabulous manoeuvres including handbrake turns, barrel rolls and flying upside down. This plane is so noisy it makes your tummy rumble (grin!).

This helicopter is an American Huey (Bell HU-1) and this one has been restored. It’s now locally owned and we often see it flying over our house.

There were lots of acrobatics at Blackpool Airshow again and this is the Trig Team, they fly vintage aircraft that were built in the 1940’s.

We also saw the Breitling Wingwalkers who are the world’s only aerobatic formation wingwalking team, this is a close-up of one of the planes. I’m not sure I’d like to stand on top of a plane while it’s flying let alone do synchronised wing-walking (grin!).

Of course you could always loop the loop instead (grin again!).

Then the grand finale was The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, who are one of the world’s premier aerobatic display teams. They never fail to please and here they are flying over the Blackpool Tower – amazing!

They are excellent to watch as they fly close together in perfect formation.

And they perform the most breathtaking stunts! Hope you enjoyed visiting the air show with me too; we had such a wonderful time (double grin!).

Thanks for joining me today! If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Here is a list of all the materials used to create this art journal page:

Today my page for the “Poetry in Motion” theme over at Art Journal Journey was inspired by a Swedish Proverb. I love the optimism of these simple words:
“Those who wish to sing will always find a song”.

I covered the page with white and pastel shades of blue and green acrylic paint using a brayer, waiting for each layer to dry before adding the next colour. I then sprinkled Ultramarine Colourcraft Brusho Crystal powder onto the page and spritzed it with water and just watched the magic as the colours burst into life. I wanted a slightly muted tone and as the Brusho was so vibrant I decided to cover the page with a thin layer of white gesso and the same acrylic paints again, this time painting them on with my finger. I like the way the Brusho powders add pops of colour through the paint. Next I added a pattern which I copied from a dreamcatcher that is hanging in my craft room and outlined it with a black Uni Posca paint pen, which took quite a bit of time as there were so many sections. Then I masked some of the sections and stamped a music stamp using black Archival Ink and a delicate flower outline stamp using Danube Blue Memento Ink. I found the blue ink was a bit distracting so I toned it down by dabbing with a baby wipe. I stamped the proverb using an alphabet stamp set by Hampton Art and black Archival Ink, and I added some white dots to the letters using a Uni Posca paint pen. The sections are embellished with blue gems and paper flowers and I used more of the same gems along the edge of the circular design. To finish, I added a little felt bird into the centre of the sections so it looks like it’s song is radiating across the page to depict the quote. You may also notice that the little bird is the same colours as the Swedish flag tying into the origins of the quote that I used too (grin!).

As birds often sing in my garden, I am also pleased to be able to join the lovely Eileen who is Guest Designer for the “In my garden” theme over at Try it on Tuesday. I think my little bird is happy to provide some music for Eileen’s ‘Miss Froggy’ ballerina to dance too (double grin!).

As a proverb is often metaphorical, I believe it means you will find a way to do the things you want. Of course it can be taken literally too, and my hubby will tell you that I can find a song for any occasion and I’m often found singing around the house. Music makes me happy (grin!).

I love all sorts of music and have quite an eclectic taste, so I thought I’d share with you some happy music moments, from this month, as we have attended quite a few music events and festivals being held in our local parks (grin!). The picture above is of the bandstand at Stanley Park where during the summer they have a different band playing every weekend, so we took a picnic and sat around the auditorium to listen to them.

This is our favourite local band called ‘Ska Face’ and it’s the first time they have played at the park. We usually go to see this band two or three times a year at local festivals and pubs. They are a ten-piece ska band from Blackpool who play and sing classics from Madness, The Specials, Bad Manners and The Beat. This type of ska music is known as the ‘2 Tone‘ genre which began in the late 1970s. A checkerboard motif is associated with ‘2 Tone’ which explains this saxophone player’s stylish suit.

There was another band playing before them called ‘The Flash Hearts’, who played rock songs and I was singing along to their rendition of ‘Dead or Alive’ by Guns and Roses and ‘My Sharona’ by the Knack.

We also went to a local music festival in Ashton Gardens just down the road, it was fun cycling there on our tandem and listening to the various bands throughout the day. This band is ‘Eye the Bomb’ who are a five-piece Alternative Rock band from Blackpool who fuse together elements of Rock, Funk, Hip-Hop and Punk. They played their own music and a few covers including ‘Give it away’ by The Red Hot Chili Peppers.

This band is ‘Paper Mountains’ whose songs are influenced by bands like Nirvana and Killers.

It was fun partying in the park and creating this page! I hope you are enjoying the “Poetry in Motion” challenge over at Art Journal Journey too, where you are invited to create a page inspired by a poem, saying or quote.

Thanks for joining me today! If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Here is a list of all the materials used to create this art journal page:

Morecambe & Wise are a well-known comedy duo here in the UK and I have fond memories of watching their famous TV shows. So you can imagine my delight when we heard their songs outside the Winter Gardens whilst we were shopping in town. On investigating, the music led us to a wonderful bronze statue of them both that has been unveiled in the foyer. This inspired me to create a journal page of them that includes the title of their signature song “Bring Me Sunshine”.

Having quoted this song on my page, I’m linking to the “Poetry in Motion” theme over at Art Journal Journey. Hope you’ll join in the fun too by creating a page that is inspired by a poem, saying or quote (maybe from your favourite song).

I started by stamping a star burst stamp onto the middle of the page using grey Memento Ink and extending the starburst sun pattern using a ruler and pencil. Then I painted alternating sections with a yellow and then a gold Spectrum Aqua marker which I scribbled onto an acrylic block and diluted with water using a paintbrush. Next I stamped “Bring Me Sunshine” using a Papermania Leftovers Alphabet stamp set and black Archival Ink. I added two washi tapes to the top and bottom of the page, the film and music note designs depict their television shows and songs. The Morecambe & Wise photo is cut from a magazine and shows them in their younger days when they appeared at the Winter Gardens itself. Next I added some metal music notes attaching them to the page with silver brads. I finished the page with smiley star stickers which reminded me of their comedy and how they make me smile.

This is the Morecambe & Wise statue that greets you when you enter the Winter Gardens and with the songs they are well-known for playing in the air it fills you with a lovely sense of nostalgia. Blackpool is considered their “spiritual home” as they performed six summer seasons and over a 1,000 shows here. This statue marks the 75th anniversary of their debut performance as a double act, which was at Liverpool’s Empire Theatre in 1941.

Their 43-year partnership started in variety theatres where they honed their performance before making their famous TV shows on the BBC and ITV. Their Christmas specials were one of the highlights of the festive season and in 1977 they attracted over 27 million viewers. Guest stars included The Beatles, André Previn, Shirley Bassey and of course Des O’Connor (grin!).

Morecambe & Wise always made me laugh as a young girl growing up and still do today as there are always reruns of their shows at Christmas time. Their songs and dance numbers are fantastic and always make me smile, here’s a rendition of “Bring me Sunshine” from one of their shows – so funny!

There have also been some other happy reminders of Morecambe & Wise of late (grin!). This time of year we often cycle up the prom on our tandem, here I am on the Comedy Carpet in Blackpool and I’m standing by their section of the carpet with the lyrics of this song in front of me! If you are interested, here are some fun facts about the song:

“Bring Me Sunshine” is a song written in 1966 by the composer Arthur Kent, with lyrics by Sylvia Dee and it was first performed by American artists.

In the UK, the song is synonymous with Morecambe & Wise after it was adopted as their signature tune in their second series for the BBC in 1969. Here’s the lyrics of the song in full.

The song was played over the duo’s closing credits and they only ever sang the first verse, the second one being purely instrumental with Eric and Ernie performing a “skip dance” to exit the stage.

We have also been to quite a few local beer festivals lately and when I saw this beer I just had to have a pint of it. It’s called “Morecambe’s Sunshine” and is brewed by Cross Bay Brewery which is located in Morecambe; the beer is light in colour, 4% abv ( alcohol by volume) and has a lovely smooth malt taste – yum! I’m saying a big cheers to the T Gang over at T stands for Tuesday and wishing you all a Happy Sunshiny T Day!

The pump clip shows the bronze statue of Eric Morecambe in his famous “skip dance” pose. This statue is on my list of places to visit and is located on the seafront at Morecambe, it’s actually designed by the same person who made the bronze sculpture of them both (above).

Thanks for joining me today! If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Here is a list of all the materials used to create this art journal page:

have always found this quote empowering so I thought I would create a page to share it with you for this month’s Art Journal Journey theme, which is “Poetry in Motion”, where you are asked to create a page inspired by a poem, quote or saying.

To tie into the quote, I masked off a large star shape and then I painted some distinctive vertical and horizontal lines using grey watercolour paint making sure that I kept the colour to the right-hand side of the page. Then I used a paintbrush to apply lots of fine splatters of the same grey and also some red watercolour paint; I concentrated the splatters on the bottom right-hand corner and fanned them out across the page like a star burst. Next I stamped an alphabet stamp by Kaisercraft and a star garland stamp by Craft Expressions using black Archival Ink and applied black and white acrylic paint splatters again. I used a black Faber-Castell Big Brush marker to outline the star and then I removed the masking tape. Next I used the star garland stamp and black Archival Ink again to continue some of the star strands over the white star. The individual letters for the quote are cut from an alphabet paper sheet by Creative Sensations, they are stuck to the page using a UHU Stic and I outlined them with a black Uni Pin marker. To finish, I stuck gold outline stickers onto a sheet of paper from the same Design Pad by Creative Sensations, fussy cut them out and stuck them to the page with a UHU Stic along with some little gold star stickers.

I got the idea for the background splatters from some street art that we recently discovered in Blackpool . There are quite a few murals on the side of some buildings and we noticed that rather than leave one of the side walls plain the artist had painted the wall black, then masked it off in a geometrical design and applied lots of fine splatters of paint.

Here’s a close up view of the wonderful art that resulted when the masking tape had been removed – isn’t the texture amazing!

This is the main mural on the other side of the building, painted in 2015 it now looks a bit worn but the images and colours are fabulous.

This mural was on the building next door, I think this one was created as part of Blackpool’s “Sand, Sea & Spray 2016” urban art festival and the way the artist has created the light on the pretty ladies face and also the rain effect is stunning!